Retaining means for sets of teeth.



J. LAUTENBURG.

RETAINING MBANSPOR SETS 0F TEETH.

, APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1913.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

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UNTTE JOSEPH LAUTENBURG,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RETAINING MEANS FOR SETS OF TEETH.

Application filed June 3, 1913.

To all whom it 7710?] concern.

Be it known that I, JOSEPH LAUTENBURG, a citizen of the United States,residing at No. 270 Grand street, in the city of New York, in the countyof New York and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulRetaining Means for Sets of Teeth, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for retaining sets ofartificial teeth, and it consists in the novel features hereinafter morefully described.

The objects of my improvement are First, to provide an effective meansfor re taining sets of artificial teeth in place. Second, to render thewearing of the sets as comfortable as possible, and to prevent therubbing or scratching of the inside of the month by the coils or wiresof any springs or by sharp edges of any sort. Third, to reduce the sizeof the upper plate, and fourth, to have the said retaining means simple,durable and comparatively ineXpensive. I attain these objects by thedevice illustrated in the accompanying drawings or by any equivalentmodification of the same.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of two sets of upper and lowerteeth re spectively, showing my retaining means in position, but quitelarger than would be made in practice. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view ofthe lower set of teeth and of the lower half of my retaining means,shown as cut by a plane passing through the line A B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a sectional elevation of my retaining means on a large scale, showingthe inner working parts of the same. Fig. 4 shows a modification of myretaining means containing a single series of telescoping tubes shown inelevation. Fig. 5 is an elevation of another modification of myretaining means having a double series of telescoping tubes decreasingin size from the middle toward the ends; a modified form of theuniversal joint 12 is also shown at the upper end of Fig. 5. Fig. 6 isan outer end view of Fig. 5, without the universal joint. Fi g. 7 is anouter end view of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a detail of the pin 11 of Fig. 1,showing one method of holding in place the universal joint, which is notshown in Fig. 8. Fig. 9 shows another method of securing the pin 11 tothe universal joint 12, which is shown with its Specification of LettersPatent.

longer side horizontal.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Serial No. 771,438.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views ofthe drawings, as follows: 10, 10, are anchors or extensions of the pins11, 11, embedded in the gums of the upper and lower sets of teeth.

12, 12, are universal joints shown in Fig. 1 as connecting the pins 11,11, to the ends of the series of telescoping tubes 14, 14, 15, 15 and16, forming a shell of variable length; 13, 13 are the lugs or cars atthe ends of the tubes 14, 14, by means of which thesle are connected tosaid universal joints 12, 2.

17, 17 are two compression springs shown in Fig. 3 as abutting at theirinner ends against the middle partition 24 of the tube 16 and at theirouter ends against the heads 20, 20, shown as screwed into the outerends of the tubes 14, 14. 23, 23, are annular grooves in the inner facesof said heads 20, 20, which grooves are adapted to receive the outerends of said spring 17, 17.

18 and 19 are additional tubes in the single telescoping series or shellshown in Fig. 4: the tube 16 at the smaller end of this series is shownas having lugs 13 similar to those carried by tube 14.

21, 21, are rivet heads at the ends of the pins 11, 11, shown in Figs.1, 5 and 9 as holding the universal joints 12, 12 in place.

22 is the head of a set-screw shown in Fig. 8 as secured to the pin 11,which has an opening with a female thread to receive it, and which head22 could serve the same purpose as the rivet head 21 of Figs. 1, 5 and9.

All the parts of my device could be made of any suitable material, andthe operation of the same is evident from the drawings.

I prefer to have the ends of my retaining means secured to the upper setof teeth between the second upper bicuspid and the first molar, and tothe lower set near the first molar tooth.

The shell or telescoping series of tubes is intended to protect theinside of the mouth from rubbing or scratching by the springs 17, 17,and the outer edges of these tubes are shown in the drawings ascarefully rounded oft.

Fig. 2 shows my retaining means as located on the outer side of theteeth, namely, between the gum and the cheek; but they could also beplaced inside of the set of teeth, i. 6. between the teeth and thetongue; they could also be placed in line with the teeth, some of thepins 11, 11, being then replaced each by a vertical eye or lug, similarto the lugs 13, 13, and secured to the gums by means of anchors 10, 10,or in any other suitable manner. These eyes or lugs could be secured toa universal joint of a form shown in Fig. 5 by means of pins 11, 11,held in place by rivet heads 21, 21, at each end; one of the teeth ineach set may then be omitted, or it may be made hollow to receive theends of my retaining device.

Either one or both universal joints may be omitted, if the telescopingtubes be loose enough to permit some lateral flexibility.

My retaining means can also be applied to one set of the teeth only byconnecting one end of each telescoping series or shell to a band or capsecured to a tooth on each side of the opposite jaw.

The telescoping tubes may be made curved instead of straight as in thedrawings, and they may be oblong in cross-section, instead of beinground as shoivn; the springs 17, 17, may be made different in shape, andone spring may be used instead of two; the forms of all the details andcon nections of my retaining means may also be varied considerably.Compressed air may also be used instead of springs, if desired.

Many other modifications could be made in my retaining means withoutdeparting from the main scope of my invention.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

In a retaining means for a set or sets of teeth a series of multipletelescoping shells inclosing an elastic medium tending to separate saidsets of teeth and comprising one or more intermediate shells andterminal shells connected at their ends to said sets of teeth. 7

JOSEPH LAUTENBURG. lVitnesses I DMYBRO MATEQKD, HARRY CARUsrEIN;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

